Andrew Flintoff demands England sort out Kevin Pietersen mess

Former England all-rounder
Andrew Flintoff has called on England and
Kevin Pietersen to sort out their differences.

Dispute: Pietersen has to resolve contract issues (Picture: REUTERS)

After playing a starring role in the drawn second Investec Test at Headingley, Pietersen refused to give assurances next week’s series finale at Lord’s will not be his last.

A dispute with the England & Wales Cricket Board over his new central contract is threatening to end his international career prematurely.

Pietersen is unhappy he is not allowed to play in this autumn’s World Twenty20 after quitting one-day cricket and his insistence he misses next summer’s Test series against New Zealand so he can play in the whole of the Indian Premier League is proving insurmountable.

Flintoff said: ‘I suppose it’s up to the ECB and Kevin to sort it out.

‘They need to get in a room, sort it out and move on because I imagine [coach] Andy Flower and his team want it resolved. Any side with Kevin Pietersen in it is better, whether that’s the one-day side, Twenty20 or the Test side.’

The relationship between Pietersen and his team-mates has broken down too, with the South African-born batsman suspicious someone in the dressing-room was behind the fake Twitter account parodying him.

It has since been proven no-one in the England team was responsible for the ‘KP Genius’ account, which has now been closed.

Flintoff said: ‘In the dressing room, you’ve got a squad of 14 and the only thing you have in common is you all play cricket.

‘That doesn’t mean you’re all going to get on – what’s important is you come together on the pitch.

‘When your backs are against the wall – and England’s are a bit, at the moment – they need to unite.’

Meanwhile, South Africa captain Graeme Smith and key all-rounder Jacques Kallis are on track to be fit for Lord’s.

Both will play in a two-day tour match at Derbyshire starting today, with Smith fully recovered from the knee injury he sustained during the second Test and Kallis’ back spasms responding well to treatment.